


The Fishy Hyuuga

by LurkingPheonix



Series: The Fishy Hyuuga [1]
Category: Naruto, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, Not a Serious Fic, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27127147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LurkingPheonix/pseuds/LurkingPheonix
Summary: After the matriarch's funeral, young Hinata finds her mother's "favorite koi fish" and gets permission to keep it as a pet. Hiashi is unaware of the headaches the fish will bring. At least he can tell it's a fish. (During her childhood.) Dear Kami knows what species the other three are. What did mother nature give birth to?
Relationships: Hinata Hyuuga & Magikarp, Hyuuga Hinata & Inuzuka Kiba
Series: The Fishy Hyuuga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980022
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	1. Hinata's New Pet

**In this fic, no one, absolutely no one, knows anything about Pokemon. There's no scrolls about them or super secret meeting between a legendary and the Hokage.**

**NOTHING** **.**

**Hinata has to find things out as times goes on. :) I was looking for something like this, but there's usually some kind of information about them, or a way to communicate with the Pokemon. *cough telepathy cough* I think it's going to be funny how clueless everyone is going to be about Pokemon. :D**

* * *

Hinata sits solemnly at the Hyuuga compound's largest koi fish pond behind the main branch house. A sakura tree is in the center of the beloved koi fish pond. To the left is a beautiful wooden bridge. Water runs under it leading to another part of the pond.

The little girl half heartily tosses some fish pellets. The koi fish swarm the food. Hinata and her family just came back from her mother's funeral. Her father locked himself in his office and some Hyuuga cousins are watching over Hanabi.

Hinata is spending her alone time at her Mother's favorite spot in the compound. Whenever they both had free time, they would feed the koi fish. She recalls when her mother showed her how to feed them. Her mother especially loved the big orange one. She said she bought a batch of koi fish from the Land of Waves three years ago. The orange koi fish's bright scales and large size stood out to her the most. Fattening it up was her mother's favorite past time.

The young Hyuuga drops the bag of fish food in the pond. She pulls her knees to her chest. She sobs loudly into her arms. She misses her kind mother so much. Her family is cold, but not her dear mother. She always knew how to cheer her up. She's not here anymore, though. She doesn't know how she'll cope with her.

A splash from the pond distracts her. She is shocked. Her mother fattened up the orange koi fish so much it's almost as big as her stomach! Half of the koi fish's body is sticking out of the water. Its head grew a yellow crown. The lips have a pink outline with a long pair of yellow mustache reaching down. The length of the white fins has grown a lot, too.

Hinata's excitement distracts her from her earlier thoughts. _"Wow, mom made the fish so big since the last time I saw him."_

"Karp karp magi karp." The Koi fish's fins splash the water.

Hinata blinks. She is surprised at the noises the fish is making. Usually nothing comes out when the koi fish move their mouths except for bubbles.

Hinata remembers that the orange koi fish is her mother's favorite. Tears spring up in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry. My mom is n-not com-ming to feed y-you anymore." The koi fish lets out a noise that if Hinata paid attention, it sounds like one of confusion.

The koi fish lets out a "karp." It swims around in circles whipping out its fins franticly. It launches its body a few inches above the water. It keeps doing tricks until a smile graces Hinata's face. She lightly claps, eager to see more from it.

A few minutes of the koi fish doing small splashes goes by. Hinata is calm now. She smiles fondly at her mother's favorite koi fish. "I'll give you a name. Mom never gave you one."

The koi fish hops in excitement. "Karp kaaarp!"

Hinata gets an idea. "I'll name you Karp-Karp." The orange fish nods, happy with whatever name the girl gave it.

The newly dubbed Karp-Karp dives down in the water. Hinata is saddened. _"Is he going back with his friends already?"_ Hinata assumes Karp-Karp is a male since her mother used to refer the koi fish as a male.

Karp-Karp quickly comes back with something in its mouth. It's a shiny black ball. The center of the ball has two gold circles. A gold line with a white outline stretches out towards the back in a horizontal line. A red line with an outer gold line goes around the ball at the top.

Hinata marvels at the beauty of the ball. She smiles at Karp-Karp. "Thank you for the ball. I love it." She tosses the ball up and down. The girl looks back to the koi fish to see him flat on his side.

Hinata drops the ball on the grass. She reaches for Karp-Karp. "Oh no, don't die Karp-Karp!"

Hiashi looks at his eldest daughter expectantly. Her timid nature kicks in as she twiddles her fingers. Hinata quietly says, "F-Father. I w-want m-mother's favorite Koi fish for my pet." He is hit with pain at the mention of his deceased wife. He schools his face to keep it from showing.

Hiashi sees no cons with Hinata keeping the koi fish. It is already in the pond and the servants feed the fish. If his wife's favorite fish can help Hinata cope and continue with training, he will allow it. She can visit it for a few minutes when she is not training.

His eyes soften a bit. _'Besides, it's one of the things left of his wife. He won't get rid of it.'_

* * *

**Kids are so creative with names. XD Oh oh, Hiashi thinks it's the regular koi fish Hinata is talking about. Let's just say that both fish are not the same one like Hiashi and Hinata are thinking. One of them is not a koi fish. ;)**

**I've seen plently of Naruto/Pokemon crossover fics. A lot of them star Naruto getting a riolu or vulpix, knowing how to train them, getting trained by them, etc. I wanted to do something different.**


	2. Kitchen Raiders

In his underwater haven, Karp-Karp glares at the audacity of this human. A long haired male human tosses the most disgusting Pokemon food he's ever eaten in his three week old life, to his new home. The water types eagerly break the surface. The tiny fish Pokemon gobble up the food. They form a tightly knitted crowd fighting to eat the most.

Karp-Karp can't wait for tonight. Yesterday, after the little girl's panicking subsided, she told him she would visit him late at night the next day. He's so bored! He can't understand the other water types.

Not. A. Single. One.

They only go "glub glub." He did his best to communicate with them. He spent an hour speaking to them. The water types just stared at him creepily and the closest response he got were bubbles. They won't even go near him after that. He has no friends besides the girl. He doesn't understand why the girl left him in the pond. He is sure she likes him. She named him, but didn't catch him. Much to his confusion, she prefers to play with the Luxury ball. What kind of Pokemon trainer with a Pokeball in their hands doesn't catch an unmoving Pokemon right in front of them?

His mother told him trainers take their Pokemon everywhere with them. If they can't, then they're returned to their Pokeballs temporally.

The water types finish eating and swim far away from him. This signals the man's disappearance. Karp-Karp smiles. _"I know, this pond is where the girl and her family keep their water types. They're not in Pokeballs like me. We're free to roam around. It's sort of like my old home."_

Karp-Karp reassures himself of his reasoning. His trainer (not yet, technically) is not bored with him. She must be busy with things humans do. He has a nice trainer who allows Pokemon to have freedom. He's free to do as he pleases when she's occupied. The water types are proof of this.

His stomach growls. The water types freak out and make a large distance between them. The Magikarp is spoiled and he knows it. He's used to eating fresh berries. His Mother's trainer always gives him his favorite, Sitrus berries.

When his trainer comes, he'll somehow tell and convince her to feed him the good food. He is not going to survive eating Pokemon food pellets. He'll die from starvation!

Hinata pokes her head out from her bedroom. She looks both ways and sees the coast is clear. She, silently as she could, sneaks to the direction of the pond. The heiress is supposed to be sleeping. Her father is expecting her to be well rested to wake up early in the morning for training.

The girl was going to visit Karp-Karp at nine o'clock. Unfortunately, her extra training took longer than she thought it would. It's currently midnight. It's pretty late to stay up. She told her koi fish she would come tonight and she's not going to break her promise.

She makes it to the koi fish pond without being stopped. She takes out a baggie of koi fish pellets she snuck in her sleeve. "Karp-Karp, I'm h-here."

Karp-Karp's head quickly pops up. He enthusiastically says, "Magi karp."

Hinata says, "Shh, Karp-Karp. We have to be q-quiet. I don't w-want to wake up f-father." Karp-Karp obeys her.

She smiles. She pinches some pellets. The fish food is sprinkled on the water. She waits for Karp-Karp to eat. He doesn't and looks unhappy.

He turns away from the food. "Karp karp."

"You d-don't like it?"

The fish nods. "Karp."

Hinata is unsure what to feed him. She doesn't know what fish eat instead of pellets. She is worried her pet will go hungry without any food.

Karp-Karp splashes out of the water. He hops towards the house. Hinata is shocked. Her fish is on land. She panics. _"He'll die without water."_

Hinata whispers, "Come back Karp-Karp!'

She chases Karp-Karp into her house. When she finally catches up to him, he's in the kitchen. He slams himself at the refrigerator. He smacks it repeatedly. "Karp karp kaaaarp."

Hinata finds a glass of water left on the counter. She hurriedly grabs it. She flings the water at Karp-Karp. Luckily, the water makes contact with her target. Karp-Karp stops his mission. His body stays still with his fins flapping.

Hinata wonders why Karp-Karp is attacking the refrigerator. She gets an idea. "Do you w-want me to o-open it?"

Karp-Karp hops as if to say yes. She does not question how Karp-Karp knows there's food in there, or where the food in the house is.

She opens the refrigerator door. A draft of cool air hits her. Hinata is stuck on what food to feed her weird koi fish. She points at a mochi. "D-Do you want this one?"

Karp-Karp snorts, "Karp." She takes that as a no.

She keeps pointing out food until she reaches the grapes. He lets out a positive noise. She grabs the fruit and closes the fridge. She plucks a single grape. Karp-Karp opens his mouth wide, waiting for her to drop it in. She stills her hand. _"Are grapes okay for koi fish? I don't want him to get sick."_

She knows you're not supposed to feed dogs chocolate. It's poisonous to dogs. The Inuzukas are very strict about it. They are vocal to people they see trying to feed their companions chocolate. She's unsure if grapes are harmful to fish like chocolate are to dogs.

Karp-Karp, impatient, with waiting snatches a grape from her fingers. Hinata ignores the saliva on her fingers to watch for something to happen to Karp-Karp. A few minutes pass by. Nothing happens apart from a satisfied "karp."

Karp-Karp looks at her expectantly. "Karp magi karp."

Seeing Karp-Karp okay, she thinks grapes are okay for fish. "Okay, ready for the next one?"

"Kaaarp."

Hinata feeds Karp-Karp more grapes until there's none left. Karp-Karp smiles at her. "Magi magi karp."

Karp-Karp hops flops around the kitchen. He jumps on the counter with the bowl of bananas. He tries to gesture to it.

"You want more food?"

"Karp."

Hinata has a little difficulty reaching the banana because of her height. Her fingers manage to get a grip on a banana. She takes it and unpeels it for her precious pet. Karp-Karp eats three bananas before he's full. There're only two bananas left for tomorrow. Her pet must have been very hungry.

Karp-Karp's sudden desire for fruit is strange. Animals must love fruit. With her mind calm, she remembers hearing about an Inuzuka dog who loves to eat cantaloupe. The dog often digs in the trash if he smells a half eaten cantaloupe in it.

Karp-Karp gets himself into the banana bowl. It's big enough for fit in comfortably. He closes his eyes and falls asleep. Hinata goes to the other side of the kitchen for a glass of water. Karp-Karp has been out of the water for a long time. She's going to give Karp-Karp water to drink. A koi fish can't stay on land without water.

She gets the glass of water and was about to go back to Karp-Karp, but her father's voice stops her.

"Hinata, what are you doing awake? I told you to go to bed."

The heiress freezes. _"Oh no, I'm going to be in trouble. I'm not allowed to feed Karp-Karp now."_ She didn't hear her father come in. She begs in her head for her father not to look around the kitchen. He'll see her koi fish. He'll be furious at the late night snacking _and_ taking her koi fish from the pond. Then he'll ban her from seeing him again.

Hiashi takes in her frightened face and the glass of water in her hands. "Finish your water and go back to bed. Drink earlier next time. I don't want to see you doing this again."

Hinata nods her head timidly. She doesn't speak in fear of her stuttering or spilling the truth. Her father takes his leave without looking around.

Hinata lets out a sigh of relief. "T-That was close."

She makes her way to her koi fish. She whispers, "Wake up. I need to take you back to the pond."

Hinata wakes him up and gets him to come down, reluctantly. She gets him to drink some water before she convinces him to let her carry him. He allows her to carry him back to his home. (Almost tripping on the puddles Karp-Karp made in his mad dash to the kitchen)

Hinata lies down on her bed. As she drifts off to sleep, a small smile graces her face. _"I can't wait to see Karp-Karp again."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay people, we all know Karp-Karp is going to evolve eventually. That's no secret. I'll build up the anticipation for the epic evolution. :D
> 
> Hinata is currently five years old. Because Hinata is not training him (he is a pet, not an animal nin), it will take years for him to level up. When will he evolve? That's a secret. ;) Let's just say it'll be hilarious the moment he evolves. I already have the moment mapped out.
> 
> Hinata will be getting two Pokemon at least. Four is the max. She will not have a full team.  
> Even though Hinata will have Pokemon, I will not make her an unbeatable goddess of destruction. Her Pokemon will not always guarantee a victory.


	3. Karp-Karp Vs Tora

Karp-Karp is swimming in circles in the pond, bored out of his mind. _"There's nothing to do here."_

The most frequent visitors are those who come during the daytime to give out disgusting Pokemon food. During feeding time, he enjoys playing underwater on the other side of the bridge because it's the only time he's free from the other tiny water types. They're too busy eating to stare at him and make him uncomfortable.

His trainer's house is usually empty. His trainer and her father are always busy doing something. He doesn't know what, though. She never brings him along with her. He thought trainers, especially young ones, love to bring their Pokemon with them everywhere and show them off.

He glumly thinks, _"She's embarrassed of me."_ He knows his species are not the most beloved Pokemon. Magikarp are seen as one, if not the, weakest Pokemon. No one takes them seriously until they evolve.

Her embarrassment explains why she insists he stays in the pond. She freaks out whenever he tries to enter the house. She only meets him at night in secret. He listens to her because she's his trainer, but it's making him restless.

He's hurt the girl doesn't want him to be seen. The longer he's stuck here, the more his fears grow. He was okay about it in the beginning, thinking she had something important to do that finished late at night. However, it's been a week already and it's the same routine.

Determination fills the Magikarp. He's going to rebel against his trainer's order. (His sanity can't take much anymore.) He'll convince the girl he's a good Pokemon. They can make an awesome team if she gives him a chance. His small move pool may be currently limited to Splash and Bounce, but he can evolve into a mighty Gyarados if she gives him time.

Another thing on his list, she needs to tell him her name. She forgot to introduce herself in their first meeting. He refers to her as 'girl' or 'his trainer.' He really does want to know her name.

Karp-Karp swims to land. He flops on his side, prepared to Splash his way into the house. He pauses when he hears a crash. There are shouts and hissing echo nearby.

"Oh no! Tora broke into the Hyuuga estate!" Karp-Karp listens closely to the insuring chaos. It's normally very quiet around here. He decides to stay for a bit. He can wait a little before finding his trainer. Not much happens here and something interesting, besides seeing his trainer at night, is finally happening.

The stampede comes closer to his home. The one making the hissing stops outside the wall surrounding the pond. The loud human voices finally get to the wall. He hears three distinct human males.

"I can't believe we lost Tora in the Hyuuga estate of all places. The Hyuugas are going to kill us!"

"Nah they won't, Daichi. The guards let us in."

"Yeah, so they can laugh at us. The look in their eyes says they're laughing at us in the inside. Their stoic faces don't fool me."

"…You know what I just thought?"

"What?"

"Hyuugas must have heard the noise we've been making. Don't you think they're watching us right now…"

"….."

"Let's look over there."

The voices go further away from the wall. He can't hear their chatter as much anymore.

Karp-Karp is disappointed. It wasn't as exciting as he expected. The walls that enclose the pond keep him from seeing the expressions on their faces. If he could follow them around, he would. He would love to see them run around and fail their goal.

However, he's wants to find Hinata next. Depending on how well his plan goes, and if he bumps into them he might watch their antics. He might not because he will have missed a huge chuck of their misadventure by the time he finds them.

Karp-Karp hears a purring sound. He follows the sound to see a fat feline Pokemon perched on the wall. He assumes the strange glint in its eyes means it wants to challenge him to a battle. A red ribbon is tied around its neck and stands out against its brown fur. Its tail shifts side to side as it stares at him with a strange glint in its eyes. He thinks it's a normal type. The cranky Glameow in his old home is a normal type, so he assumes since they're both felines, they must be the same type.

" _Why are the exciting things happening when I have something important to do,"_ thinks the Magikarp. He would love to battle, but he already had one distraction. He keeps this up and he'll never get to his trainer. He already learned once to not allow things to pile up or he'll never get important things done.

Karp-Karp solemnly says, "I can't battle now. You can come over next time."

The feline Pokemon doesn't reply. It just licks its lips.

The cat suddenly launches itself at Karp-Karp. He quickly hops above the surprise attack. The brown cat, surprisingly considering its weight, jumps up with its paws outstretched. The Scratch gets his stomach. He screeches from the strong attack. He falls to the ground hard.

Karp-Karp yells, "Hey! I said I didn't want to battle." He's facing a strong opponent. It must have some experience. It's no beginner Pokemon, that's for sure.

The feline doesn't acknowledge his words. It comes at him with its claws. Karp-Karp launches himself into the air. He quickly falls down with Bounce before the feline underneath him can dodge it. He lands on its back and forces it to lie on its stomach. The cat shrieks, "Meow!"

His opponent unexpectedly rolls over, making Karp-Karp fall off. Before Karp-Karp makes his next move, he feels an immense amount of pain. The cat is using Bite on his side. He tries to use Bounce, but can't since the feline is holding him down with its weight.

Karp-Karp yells, "Let go!" The cat's doesn't let up. Its teeth dig deeper into his body. This doesn't feel like a normal Bite attack. Normally a Pokemon lets go and uses a different attack. It feels more savage, more blood thirsty.

Fear hits him. He remembers that Pokemon in the wild eat other Pokemon. Predators prey on weak Pokemon such as Caterpie or Magikarp. _"I'm going to be eaten!"_

In the main house, Hiashi watches his daughter paying attention to her tutor's lecture. He lectures on the history of Konoha and Hinata takes notes at the low table. He's here to watch his heir's progress. She's doing okay so far. Her meekness irks him. He has a lot of work ahead of him to mold her into a strong clan heiress.

"Karp karp karp magi karrrrrp!"

The tutor comments out loud, "What is that shrieking? It sounds like a dying animal."

Hinata, wide eyed, drops her pencil. She gasps, "Karp-Karp!" She gets on her feet and runs out of room in tears. Hiashi and the tutor quickly follow after her.

Hiashi is curious about his daughter's reaction. Judging by her outburst, she recognizes the noise. Hinata has limited interaction with strangers outside the clan, let alone animals. He suspects she is hiding an injured animal. She must have taken pity on it and is trying to secretly nurse it back to health. It would explain the quickly depleting fruit.

The heiress leads them to the pond. A cat is chewing on an exotic fish. The dying animal noises are in fact coming from it. He notices the ribbon around the cat's neck. It's the Daimyo's wife's cat, Tora.

Hinata is crying hysterically. "The m-mean cat is e-eating m-my p-pet!" Tora tugs more aggressively. No matter how hard Tora tries, she can't tear off some meat. The fish is more durable than it looks.

Hinata's crying lessens until her sniffles aren't as loud. She straightens her back and gets in the gentle fist stance. A glint of determination lights her eyes. "Leave Karp-Karp alone you mean cat!"

Hinata runs for the cat and strikes it. The cat cries as she's thrown to the wall. Hinata stands in front of the fish protectively. She says in a firm voice, "No one hurts my friends."

Tora gets back on shaky paws. She glares darkly. The five year old doesn't let the hissing intimidate her.

The tutor makes a move to help Hinata, but Hiashi stops it. "Don't interfere."

"The cat is going to attack Hinata."

"Watch."

Hiashi watches closely. He is not intervening because Hinata is not her usual shy self. Her stuttering even disappeared. It's a miracle. He wants to see what she will do next.

The cat lunges with its claws. Hinata steps to the left and jabs a gentle fist in its back. Tora falls to the floor. The cat's limbs twitches. She doesn't try to move anymore. The strike insures Tora won't be getting up anytime soon. The heiress never loses that look in her eyes. The very same eyes Hiashi has been trying to instill in her.

Hinata drops her stance. She gently takes the fish into her arms. She sniffs, "You're safe now."

The fish snuggles in her hold. "Karp karp."

The clan head has many questions. How can the fish be alive after clearly being out of the water for so long? Where did it come from? What species is this fish? How strong are the fish's scales? How did Hinata hide it from him for so long? Is it just his eyes or is that fish…..cuddling her?

"Hinata."

The heiress shyly says, "Y-Yes father?" Hiashi is disappointed. Her stuttering came back.

"We need to have a talk."

"H-Hai."

Even though Hinata is shy again, her performance proves she can grow a back bone. His efforts are not in vain. She needs to be pushed harder to show her determined eyes once more.

The tutor quietly says, "Tora is injured. If we don't heal her, we're going to face the Daimayo's wife's wrath. Who knows how she'll react if Tora dies."

Hiashi pales. He's uneager to fall into the Daimayo's bad side because of a cat.

"Heal Tora first. Then we talk about the fish."


	4. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. I didn't have word on this laptop and I couldn't open chapters 4 and up. Got Microsoft Office on here recently and could finally edit it.

  
After the Tora fiasco and disciplining the Hyuuga guards via bird cage seal, Hiashi assembled a small meeting. It consists of Hiashi himself, Hinata, and the fish. Hinata is unable to look him in the eye. The fish bowl containing the fish is set closely to her. It is rubbing its face in the side of the bowl Hinata is.

  
The fish, or ‘Karp-Karp’ as his daughter refers to it, is relaxing in a large fish bowl he urgently ordered a Hyuuga to find. (The poor branch member ran all over Konoha asking for a fish bowl large enough for the exotic fish. They later realized they could have stuck it in a pot or a bathtub.)

  
The fish is fine. A Hyuuga with some medical skills healed its injuries. Its injuries weren’t serious enough to call in someone more experienced. Seriously, all this drama over a fish and the daimyo’s wife’s cat.

  
Hiashi speaks to break the awkwardness. “What happened to the koi fish you wanted for your pet?” He didn’t forget about his wife’s favorite koi fish. He wonders if something happened to it and Hinata somehow got this fish to replace it. Children aren’t the greatest in taking care of pets. They play with them too roughly and they accidently kill it. His daughter may be gentle, but accidents happen.

  
The theory has holes in it, though. How would Hinata be able to sneak in a fish larger than her palm without her guards noticing? Ever since the Hyuuga Affair, Hinata’s guards have doubled. They keep a closer eye on her and anyone who interacts with her at all times. Her guards surely would have reported Hinata sneaking something into the compound. All living things have chakra. The exotic fish is no exception. Its chakra may be very weak and hardly noticeable, it’s still there. 

  
Hinata blinks, confused. “Karp-Karp is the koi fish. Mother told me she bought him two years ago from Wave.”

  
Hiashi raises an eyebrow. He may not be an expert on fish, but he can tell it’s not a koi fish. He tries to recall his wife’s purchase. He doesn’t keep track of everything his wife buys. He has no care for what she buys as long as it doesn’t break his bank account. He briefly remembers his wife going to Wave to buy some koi fish, saying something about wanting to pick them personally instead of ordering it and having a stranger choosing for her. 

  
Hiashi has an idea and he wants to confirm it with Hinata. “Are you sure it’s the same fish?”

  
The only person, besides his wife, who can say without a doubt it’s one of the fish she bought, is his heiress. Before his wife passed away, she made it clear only she and Hinata are allowed at the pond. It’s their private area to relax and one of the very few places there are no pressures from the clan to bother them. Hiashi respects that. He has a private office where only he is allowed in. He allowed his wife the same privilege. 

  
Hinata nods. “Yes, father. He grows fast. Mother and I loved to feed him a lot.”  
“I see.”  
Hiashi thinks his wife bought some koi fish and saw the orange one, which was smaller at the time and less noticeable, and wanted to keep it. He assumes she couldn’t resist buying it. But orange of all colors.....

  
Servants were forbidden from entering the pond. The matriarch herself took care of the koi fish. He allowed the servants to go back there to tend to it after her death. 

  
Hiashi has some curiosity about the fish’s species. He assumes it’s very rare in Wave. It could very well be a newly discovered species and an idiot sold it not knowing its value to civilian animal welfare groups. 

  
When the fish was receiving treatment, he had time to use his byakugan. The fish, though strange, is natural. It wasn’t subjected to experiments, or Orochimaru was involved. He would have noticed a tainted chakra or something off if there was.

  
As curious as he is about the strange fish, he was more concerned if he had to punish Hinata for sneaking it past her guards. He would have had to teach her not to sneak things inside the estate. (Fish or not.) She could have unknowingly brought home something dangerous and gotten herself or another family member killed.

  
Hiashi says, “The main reason I called you here is to talk about the cat you attacked.” 

  
Hinata stutters, “B-But he t-tried to e-eat m-my pet.” 

The clan head sternly looks at her, not appreciating the back talk. Hinata stays silent from his look.

  
“The cat you harmed is the Daimyo’s wife’s cat. You must face punishment for attacking an....important cat. For three days, you will have extra training.” 

  
Hinata’s face falters. She meekly says, “O-Okay father.”

  
Hiashi speaks, “One more thing, remember to never sneak anything into the compound. Let a clan member inspect it first.” Hinata may not have done so, he thinks it’s good to tell her this lesson instead of later. In case she gets any ideas.

  
Confusion overtakes her face again. She doesn’t reply back. She just says, “Hai.” 

  
Hinata takes too long to leave. Hiashi gives her a look.

Hinata finally takes the cue to stand up, bow, and leave. A few moments later she comes back and grabs the fish bowl she forgot to grab. She struggles to keep a good grip on it. Her hands doesn’t reach all the way around. She awkwardly leaves the room again.

  
The punishment is really an act to appease the daimyo’s wife. The fire daimyo doesn’t care about Tora. He’s sad it survived. The daimyo implied to have a light punishment so his wife is satisfied. His wife was causing a ruckus and wanted to charge a hefty fine to the Hyuuga clan. The daimyo agreed with him that it was ridicules. 

  
Hiashi thinks about the uncomfortable way of Hinata holding the bowl. He’ll assign an extra guard to carry the bowl. The fish throws a fit every single time it is separated from Hinata.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Karp-Karp, we see that you can’t treat him like a normal fish. Leaving him alone for long periods of time in one spot will drive him crazy. He has no other Pokemon friends to talk to when Hinata’s gone. If you owned a pet fish, you know you leave them in their cramped fish tank. The reasons you go to their tank are to admire or feed them. Hinata is bound to find out sooner, rather than later, about it. There is only so much loneliness Karp-Karp can take.
> 
> Pokemon are social creatures. They enjoy freedom and interacting with others. In Pokemon, most trainers let their Pokemon out when they’re not battling. They also follow their trainers around. Hinata doesn’t know this. You can’t blame her. She doesn’t know the difference between having a pet or a Pokemon. There are no trainers here to teach her Pokemon basics.
> 
> For Hiashi, we’re seeing his thoughts on the ‘exotic’ fish. He’s not going jump the gun and scream, “ITS FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION!” He’s seeing this from a logical standpoint. A newly discovered fish and it's survival instincts in action. (ex. camouflage, bright colors, etc.) Compared to summons and nin animals, Karp-Karp's Bounce isn't interesting.
> 
> In our world, we’re still discovering new species every year, including fish.


	5. The Most Important Room in the House is the Bathroom

Hinata wakes up at six am in the morning. Father always insists waking up at this time. He says something about work must done and not to waste the morning sleeping in. Her hands tiredly rub her eyes. Once she is alert enough, she stumbles off her bed, nearly falling flat on her face.

Her regular morning routine begins. She changes into her regular training clothes. She brushes her hair and goes to the bathroom connected to her room.

The young heiress brushes her teeth quickly. When she puts away her toothpaste and toothbrush, she freezes. The drowsiness of the morning fades away and she remembers a gentle hand brushing her hair. A woman's soft laugh at the watery toothpaste left over from her face.

A "karp" sound snaps her out of it. Her breathing, which was quickening without her notice, calms down.

Hinata, distracted, thinks. _'What was that noise?'_

It takes her a bit to remember who makes that sound. Hinata's face brightens.

"Good morning Karp-Karp. Did you sleep well in the bathtub?"

The answer is a playful splash.

Last night, her father tried to return Karp-Karp to the pond. The branch member who treated him said he was well enough to return to his home. When her father put Karp-Karp in the pond, he jumped out and landed in her arms.

Everyone panicked and tried to remove him. Whenever someone's hands were near him, he would smack them away with his fins or tail. Before Karp-karp died from lack of water, they eventually gave up.

Ko, her body guard, said Karp-Karp probably remembers he was attacked here. Also, he would feel vulnerable staying here alone. He'll be very clingy until he gets over it.

They moved him to his new home: her bath tub. It has more space and water for Karp-Karp to move comfortably in. Plus, she sleeps nearby. Father didn't want the fish bowl on her night stand like the fish wanted. Karp-Karp being the energetic fish he is, father said it was an accident waiting to happen.

Hinata kneels on the bath mat. She gently rubs Karp-Karp's scales. He eagerly leans into her touch. He sighs, "Magikarp."

Hinata lets go of Karp-Karp. She looks around the bathroom and finds the fishbowl. She sets it down. She gently pats it. "Come in, Karp-Karp. It's time for breakfast."

Karp-Karp eyes the fishbowl. He looks at her, confused. "Karp arp magi karp…?"

Hinata frowns. "What's wrong? You were okay with it yesterday." She checks the fishbowl. Yesterday, a branch member cleaned it and filled it with fresh water. It's clean, so that's not what's bothering him.

"magi karp karp arp. Karp karp karp?"

"What…?"

Karp-Karp laughs, "karp magi karp." He holds up his fins to signal to lift him up. Hinata gently holds him and puts him in the fish bowl. She quickly dries her wet hands with the nearby towel.

She grabs his fishbowl and goes to the dining room. The low table already has a bowl of rice for two people. A bowl of fruit containing grapes, bananas, and apples are in the center. Her father is already kneeling at the table drinking his tea.

Hinata bows as much as she can with the fish bowl still in her arms. She struggles not to spill water. "Good morning father."

"Good morning. Come sit and eat breakfast. We have much to do today."

Hinata sets the fish bowl at the low table. A plate of grapes is placed before Karp-Karp. She quickly plucks each one from its stems. Finished, she goes to her spot and kneels.

They eat in silence. They mostly say nothing, except for the one time her father snaps at Karp-Karp.

"Fins off table!"

"magi karp magikarp jarp?"

"Hinata, discipline your pet."

"H-Hai." Hands gently removes his fins off the table.

"P-Please try not to touch the t-table like that. It's not g-good table manners. I-I know you're a fish, but it's rude to p-people. I-I mean-"

"Karp."

After that break in the regular morning routine, they resume eating as if nothing unusual happened.

When everyone is finished, they stay where they are. Hinata waits anxiously for what her father will say. He always has something to tell her about the day. It can be anything from telling her not to disappoint the clan or her training.

"Today is your first day of punishment. You will repeat your katas until your sensei is satisfied."

"H-Hai." Hinata knows she's in for a long day of training. Her sensei won't dismiss her if her katas doesn't meet his expectations. That means there won't be any time to see Hanabi. Her training routine limits the amount of free time she has.

Plus, Karp-Karp hasn't met Hanabi yet. She wants to introduce Karp-Karp to her precious sister. Then, they can all play together when Hanabi is older.

"Go with Ko. Your training starts soon."

Hinata feels the eyes of her clan members staring at her group. Most of the adults keep their composure and the few who don't look on in disbelief.

"What is with the fish?"

"What species is that thing?"

"Why is it being carried like a spoiled noble's pet?"

"Did the main branch get a new fish? Are they moving it somewhere?"

"…..Is she taking it for a walk….?

Ko is walking beside her and another guard is carrying Karp-Karp's fish bowl. Half of the koi fish's body is out of the bowl. He waves his fins excitedly and spills water on the silently fuming guard's kimino.

Ignoring curious onlookers, they continue their path to the dojo. They're half way there when a woman walking the opposite direction is walking towards them. The group and the woman stop walking.

She smiles. "Good morning Hinata-sama." The woman was going to just give her polite greeting and go, but the 'karp' sounds incited curiosity and confusion. There in the guard's arms is a fish bowl. She's pretty sure the young heiress has training this morning. _"Why is she bringing a pet with her to training?"_

Feeling bold, the woman asks, "I have never seen the fish before. Is it your pet?" If Hinata was a different main branch member or the clan head, she would never have the nerve to ask.

The heiress says shyly, "Y-Yes. My f-father says I can k-keep him."

"He has pretty scales."

The fish flails his fins, as if to thank her for the compliment.

So the clan head gave permission to keep a pet. That's unusual. Normally, the clan doesn't keep pets. It has something to do with the unspoken 'pet care interfering with training.' It could be a subtle way of implying the heiress is not worth training. Clan training would decrease and the heiress would have more free time. In a roundabout way, the heiress would have time to have a pet.

Except, Hinata is in her training outfit and she appears to be on her way to the dojo. There's the other fact that the only possible heir is Hanabi, who is a baby. It would be too early to snub Hinata of her title. So, that's not it.

The woman takes into consideration Hinata's mother's death. Knowing they're grieving, she believes Hiashi made an exception. A pet can help Hinata cope with her death. She doubts Hinata has strong emotional support. The clan elders are discouraging clan members from 'coddling' the heiress in public.

If she wasn't a branch member and close to her, she would have tried to help her. She doesn't have the gull to try. She would be disciplined for reaching above her station and attempting to have a close connection with the future clan head.

The warning look from Ko gets her to quickly leave, for her morning greeting is too long and she is close stepping over the line.

Hinata is in her pajamas, prepared to go to bed. She fills the bath tub with water and Karp-Karp gets in when it's ready. Her pet gleefully swims in circles.

She sighs, exhausted. During training, she had to have her katas perfect or earn a clip remark from her sensei. Her only rest was a short lunch break. Then head straight back into perfecting her katas again. She looks forward to when her punishment is lifted. She'll have her limited free time again and have enough time to see Hanabi again.

An abrupt flash of mother washing her hair hits her. Another flash of mother pouring bubble bath soap in the bath tub.

Hinata shakes. "M-Mother. I m-miss you." She breaks down, tears flowing down her checks. She covers her mouth, trying to muffle her cries so no one can hear.

"Karp magikarp karp!" Kar-Karp leaps up and snatches her extra bath sponge hanging above him. He falls down and makes a splash.

"Karp-Karp!" Hinata rubs her eyes with her sleeves. She feels her pajama top soaking wet. "What are you doing?"

The pet ignores her question. He tries to balance the sponge on his head. It gets stuck on his 'crown.' He struggles to shake it off. His constant moving makes waves in the water.

She doesn't know what got into him. Or what he wants to do with the sponge.

Hinata reaches for the sponge. "I'll get it."

"Karp karp!" He swims out of her reach.

"Let me help you."

After the struggle, he finally gets it off. He swims back, pushing the sponge with his forehead. He nudges it in her reach. He pats it fondly. "Magikarp karp karp magi karp." He distances himself.

Dumbfounded, Hinata says, "Thank you for returning my sponge….?" He goes through all that effort just to give it back to her. She doesn't really mind he ruffled it up. It is an extra sponge in case the one she's using needs to be replaced. She hasn't used it yet.

For some strange reason, Karp-Karp's face looks like a deadpan expression. He takes the sponge away again. He swims in circles nudging the sponge with him. He puts it in front of her again. He bluntly says, "Karp karp."

Hinata brightens. "You want to play?"

"Karp!"

Hinata rolls up her sleeves to her elbows. She tosses the sponge to the other end of the bath tub. It flops and stays above the water. Karp-Karp races for it and nudges it back.

They continue playing their game for fifteen minutes. They alternate games during that time. They made a new game where Karp-Karp tries to keep the strawberry shampoo bottle at the bottom of the bath tub as long as he can. Hinata would try to snatch it up when the bottle slips.

Hinata smiles. Karp-Karp cheered her up when she started crying about her mother. Her gentle mother was the only person in the compound who is supportive of her. She had a close bond with her. Father and other family members are distant, and the Hyuuga elders express disappointment with her. With her mother gone, she had no one to talk to or laugh with. It's always training, training, and more training.

When she cries, Hyuugas like the elders would tell her to stop 'that racket and silence!' and 'be a strong clan heir.' They tell her to bottle up her emotions. Don't think about it. A future leader must show a strong front at all times.

She followed their instructions. She blocked out memories of her mother. But, she still felt hollow inside. Numb and empty. The instructions don't work for her. When she's alone and thinks about her mother, she breaks down crying. She'd muffle her cries with a pillow, so father can't hear. Sometimes, when she presses the pillow too hard to her mouth, she'd shove it away gasping for air.

Karp-Karp doesn't judge her. When she cries, he grabs her attention and makes her happy. He's more than a pet. He's her precious friend. He's there for her when others are not. He plays games with her and makes her laugh.

Even though she can't understand a word he's saying, his actions means a lot to her whether he's aware of it or not. He's been there for her more than anyone else since her mother died.

The bathroom thus became her favorite room in her home. She has privacy in there. She's glad for the 'knock before you enter' social etiquette rule. No one will barge in unless there is an emergency.

Karp-Karp lives in her bath tub. Even with her strict training schedule, she can play every night with Karp-Karp. She has someone special to her to say good night to before bed time.

Hinata has a personal mission: find things to use as bath toys. Bath toys are considered childish and not necessary for a clan heir her age. Hanabi has bath toys to use when she's a little older, but she won't steal them from her sister. It's not an option.

This leaves to buying them. It has to be things that can be used as toys, doesn't look out of place in the bathroom cabinet, and can be dried easily or doesn't take a long time to dry.

Shopping is mostly done without her presence. She can, however, request items she is low on or needs. She briefly recalls a shampoo with a large star shaped lid. She can say she likes it and ask for it when hers run out.

Normally, she would never try to be sneaky or go behind her father's back. She considers what she is doing is not a bad thing. No one is going to be hurt by her actions. Keeping Karp-Karp from being bored is a good thing. Watching her train all day is not fun and she wants to do something for him.

Her father always says a ninja is resourceful and sneaky, and she's taking the lesson to heart.

Hinata shivers. First, she needs to change out of her pajamas. Then, the mission starts.

_Meanwhile in another part Hyuuga compound, some branch members, free from the main branch's presence, express their blunt opinions._

"Did Hiashi seriously let the heiress parade around the compound with a fish bowl? It's a sign, cousin! His wife's death must have driven him to insanity," cried Hyuuga number one.

"Keep your voice down! If Hiashi hears you, you'll be disciplined via caged bird seal. Actually, Ko was carrying the fish bowl, not the heiress," plainly said Hyuuga number two.

"Details. She is treating her fish like an Inuzuka puppy. Who in their right mind takes their fish for a walk? It's like dragging a dog house down the street with the dog still in it!"

The Hyuugas wouldn't care if it was a regular koi fish. It would be stuck in the koi fish pond where it belongs. It's an exception to the 'a pet takes time away from training' thing. A simple toss of pellets and no further attention is required. It's more of a decoration that requires maintenance. What they are concerned about is how Hinata is taking a fish for a walk.

Taking an animal that can't breathe on land, for a walk.

"Maybe it is Hiashi's not so subtle way to display his exotic and rare fish?"

"Why would he need to do that to us lowly branch members?"

The sliding door opens.

"Father, mother says it's time for dinner. About the fish, the main branch is unsure of the proper care for the rare species. It might die within a few years or sooner since the deceased clan head wife's is the only one with any idea how to keep it alive."

"…."

"That makes sense, Tokuma. The matriarch solely cared for it. I doubt she left behind an exotic fish care manual." Hyuuga number two, Tokuma's father, is inwardly smiling.

"Thank kami. The heiress won't embarrass the clan in public. Can you imagine? The other clan's would see our future leader as weak _and_ crazy." Hyuuga number two almost shudders.

Tokuma's father regains the typical stoic behavior. "Come, we mustn't keep my wife waiting."

He and the not-hysterical-anymore cousin leave.

Tokuma lets out a small sigh _. "All this panic over an insignificant fish? It's not like it'll live for a long time."_

**Author's Note:**

> I made this fic a long time ago on Fanfiction. I'm hoping to get back to writing new chapters one day.


End file.
